⛳ “He’s a 10 but…” — Tea’s red flag dating app. Quince’s $4.5B cashmere. Our 1st Transcontinental Railroad. Happy Gilmore’s cameo strategy.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet
Episode Title: ⛳ “He’s a 10 but…” — Tea’s Red Flag Dating App. Quince’s $4.5B Cashmere. Our 1st Transcontinental Railroad. Happy Gilmore’s Cameo Strategy.
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Release Date: July 30, 2025

---

1. Tea: The Red Flag Dating App Under Scrutiny

Overview:
In the opening segment, Nick and Jack delve into the popular dating app, Tea, which has rapidly gained traction among women for its unique approach to evaluating potential partners. However, recent security breaches have cast a shadow over the app's promise of a safe and honest dating environment.

Key Points:

• App Functionality: Tea allows women to rate men they've dated by assigning red or green flags, akin to a Yelp review system for dating. This feature aims to help users identify desirable traits while avoiding problematic behaviors.

• Security Issues: Despite its innovative approach, Tea has been hacked twice, compromising user data and leaving many women feeling exposed. This breach undermines the app's foundation of trust and anonymity.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (07:05): "Tea has digitized the whisper network. It's techified."
• Jack (07:31): "This is powerful stuff. And that is why 4.7 million women have downloaded this app and it hit number two in the app store."
• Nick (08:44): "If vulnerability is the product, security must be the foundation."

Insights & Conclusions: The hosts highlight the delicate balance between leveraging technology for social accountability and ensuring robust security measures. The breaches not only damage user trust but also pose significant challenges for Tea's sustained growth and reputation in the competitive dating app market.

---

2. Historic Merger: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern's First Transcontinental Railroad

Overview:
Nick and Jack break down the monumental $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, marking the creation of America's first transcontinental railroad. This deal stands as the biggest business transaction of 2025, promising to revolutionize the nation's freight and cargo transport.

Key Points:

• Deal Dynamics: Union Pacific is acquiring Norfolk Southern at $320 per share via a combination of cash and stock, culminating in an $85 billion valuation.

• Strategic Importance: The merger aims to streamline shipping across 100 ports with 50,000 miles of rail covering 43 states, significantly enhancing efficiency by eliminating the need for cargo transfer between separate rail systems.

• Economic Impact: Railroads account for 28% of U.S. freight and 40% of long-haul cargo. The consolidation is expected to optimize supply chains and reduce costs, although regulatory approvals are projected to delay the finalization until 2027.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (11:03): "This is the biggest merger of the year because it doesn't make sense to take two Ubers to get somewhere. And it doesn't make sense to take two trains either."
• Jack (12:37): "They said they have guaranteed jobs for anybody that's unionized."
• Nick (13:00): "How do you equate quince with luxury? Well, you do it with the caviar strategy."

Insights & Conclusions: The hosts discuss the implications of such a massive merger, touching on historical parallels with the 19th-century railroad monopolies that led to antitrust laws. They ponder whether the consolidation will truly benefit the industry or merely serve as a cost-cutting and profit-boosting maneuver, emphasizing the need for careful regulatory oversight to prevent potential monopolistic practices.

---

3. Quince: Revolutionizing Affordable Luxury with Cashmere

Overview:
Quince, a San Francisco-based fashion startup, has achieved a staggering $4.5 billion valuation by disrupting the luxury apparel market. By leveraging a direct-to-factory model, Quince offers high-quality cashmere products at accessible prices, challenging traditional fashion industry norms.

Key Points:

• Business Model: Unlike conventional apparel brands that manage inventory and seasonal collections, Quince operates on an asset-light, direct-to-factory (DTF) approach. They only produce garments upon receiving orders, eliminating waste and reducing costs.

• Product Strategy: Quince offers affordable luxury items, such as $50 cashmere sweaters, without compromising on quality. Additionally, they employ the "caviar strategy" by releasing limited-edition high-end products (e.g., $3,000 diamond rings, $4,000 gold bars, $300 tins of premium caviar) to associate their brand with luxury and enhance consumer perception.

• Market Position: Positioned alongside renowned brands like Skims and Louboutin in valuation, Quince stands out by combining tech-driven efficiency with a commitment to sustainable and affordable luxury.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack (17:32): "Quince is America's tempu. But luxury now, Yeti, It's a funny thing."
• Nick (19:08): "Quince's technology cuts out an extra middleman to stay as lean as possible. Which means there's no wasted clothes, no wasted waistbands being made at Quince."
• Jack (20:35): "If you saw an article that said Quince is selling caviar, you're going to associate Quince with luxury and believe that $50 sweater is, in fact, luxury."

Insights & Conclusions: The hosts applaud Quince for its innovative approach to fashion, emphasizing how technology can democratize luxury without sacrificing quality. By ensuring every product is made-to-order, Quince not only conserves resources but also meets consumer demand more precisely. Their clever marketing strategies, like the caviar strategy, further solidify their brand's luxurious image, proving that affordable luxury can indeed coexist with high-end perceptions.

---

Bonus Segment: Happy Gilmore 2's Cameo Craze

Overview:
In an entertaining detour, Nick and Jack discuss the release of "Happy Gilmore 2" on Netflix, highlighting its unprecedented number of cameo appearances as a strategic marketing and cost-saving measure.

Key Points:

• Cameo Strategy: The sequel boasts over 60 celebrity cameos, including pro golfers, musicians, athletes, influencers, chefs, and even the host of Jeopardy. This extensive list serves as a marketing hack, generating buzz as celebrities share their involvement on social media.

• Cost-Efficiency: By incorporating numerous short appearances, the film reduces costs associated with high-paying actors, allowing for a diverse and extensive cast without exorbitant budgets.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (03:03): "That's right. Adam Sandler's character is based off a real childhood friend from the University of Vermont. It ain't just a movie. It's a case study in frugal filmmaking with 60 different cameos."
• Jack (02:49): "Who is Ken Jennings?"

Insights & Conclusions: Nick and Jack commend the filmmakers for their ingenious use of cameos to enhance the film's appeal while managing budget constraints. This approach not only attracts a wide audience through familiar faces but also exemplifies how strategic casting can amplify a movie's marketing efforts without significant financial investment.

---

Final Thoughts:
In this episode of The Best One Yet, Nick and Jack navigated through the complexities of modern dating technology, monumental business mergers, and innovative approaches in the fashion industry. Their engaging discussions, enriched with insightful commentary and memorable quotes, offer listeners a comprehensive understanding of each topic's significance in today's business landscape.

Transcript

[Nick]

This is Nick.

[Jack]

This is Jack.

[Nick]

It's Wednesday ceviche Wednesday, July 30th. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T. Boy.

[Jack]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[Nick]

Today's show has so much razzle dazzle, so much sprinkled ankle. What do you say we hit the three stories? Jack, what do we got, man?

[Jack]

For our first story, Tea isn't a dating app. It's an app women use while dating, and it lets you rate dudes.

[Nick]

But this t dating app, it got hacked. And that is causing the realty.

[Jack]

For our second story, the biggest business deal of 2025 was announced yesterday. An $85 billion railroad merger.

[Nick]

Besties, forget what you learned in grade school. This is our first transcontinental railroad.

[Jack]

And our third and final story, the fashion brand Quince just hit four and a half billion dollar valuation for cashmere candles and caviar.

[Nick]

But we think Quince's real innovation. It's actually America's temu.

[Jack]

But yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[Nick]

Oh, f. Mix of stories. Love the mix, jack.

[Jack]

It's been 29 years since Happy Gilmore hit theaters in 1996.

[Nick]

Just tap, tap, tap, tap, tap in that sequel, Jack. Tap, tap, Papa roo.

[Jack]

Happy Gilmore 2 hit Netflix on Friday, and it's already Netflix's number one movie.

[Nick]

Spoiler. Don't expect it to be as good as Happy Gilmore number one.

[Jack]

Happy Gilmore 2 is like a college reunion. It's fun, but it's not as fun as college was.

[Nick]

But did you know that this movie only had a budget of $30 million?

[Jack]

30 million? That's like 1/10 the budget of a Disney mov.

[Nick]

But here's what Jack and I find fascinating. Yetis. Happy Gilmore 2 specializes in the greatest financial trick shot in the history of film.

[Jack]

Happy Gilmore 2 specializes in the cameo.

[Nick]

Ah, the cameo. Happy Gilmore 2 has more cameo appearances than any other movie we could find.

[Jack]

And we triple checked IMDb. 60 different celebrity cameos.

[Nick]

This is a marketing hack because the.

[Jack]

Celebrities in the film, they post on social.

[Nick]

But it's also a cost saver because.

[Jack]

You don't have to pay eminem for those 30 seconds. He was on camera.

[Nick]

No, you don't. In fact, Jack and I counted 14 different pro golfers in this movie, from.

[Jack]

Lee Trevino to John Daly to Scotty Scheffler.

[Nick]

In fact, there are more pro athletes in the cast than in the Olympics.

[Jack]

Reggie Bush, Sean Avery, Taylor Swift's boyfriend.

[Nick]

Aw.

[Jack]

Music.

[Nick]

Happy Gilmore 2 stars. Enough singers to win a Grammy.

[Jack]

Bad Bunny Kid Cudi, Post Malone.

[Nick]

In fact, the Happy Gilmore cameos are also kind of like a family reunion, right, Jack?

[Jack]

Because Adam Sandler's wife and kids were in Happy Gilmore 2.

[Nick]

But Ben Stiller's three kids are also in the movie.

[Jack]

There were four influencers, including Alex Earle.

[Nick]

Two chefs, including Guy Fieri.

[Jack]

Even the host of Jeopardy. Somehow snuck into the cast.

[Nick]

Who is Ken Jennings?

[Jack]

Get this, Nick. The daughter of the CEO of Netflix. She made the movie, too.

[Nick]

Oh, but the wildest appearance of all. Who is it, Jack?

[Jack]

The real life Happy Gilmore.

[Nick]

That's right. Adam Sandler's character is based off a real childhood friend from the University of Vermont besties, Happy Gilmore 2. It ain't just a movie. It's a case study in frugal filmmaking with 60 different cameos.

[Jack]

The only one who didn't make happy gilmore2 is that mista Mista lady. Remember her?

[Nick]

Oh, yeah, Jack. But I think they just killed her.

[Jack]

I think we just killed her.

[Nick]

Chubbs. To be proud, let's hit our three stories.

[Unknown]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea. To cause a cultural storm is the best one yet. But the best is a norm. Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T Boy City on your at list. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more.

[Nick]

So just start the show.

[Unknown]

Start the show.

[Nick]

First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

Now a quick break. Switching topics to one of our favorite sponsors, Vital proteins.

[Nick]

All right, Yeti. So Jack has become an extreme collagen user. This guy's adding vital proteins collagen to each morning coffee. And Jack drinks a lot of morning coffee. I should point out.

[Jack]

Yeah, I have three cups a day. I have a tub of mocha and a tub of chocolate. Both make my coffee taste chocolatey.

[Nick]

So Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides is a supplement that has four benefits all in one. Helping support healthy hair, skin, nails, bones and joints.

[Jack]

That is how my face got dewier than a donut.

[Nick]

Mix it into your coffee to your smoothie or just go straight to your face.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

Get 20% off by going to vitalproteins.com and entering promo code T Boy at checkout.

[Jack]

That's vitalproteins.com promo code T Boy for 20% off.

[Nick]

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Jack]

Airbnb Yetis.

[Nick]

There is nothing more powerful in life or in business than the double dip.

[Jack]

Dip that chip twice and don't end.

[Nick]

It with the ultimate money. Double dip. Hosting on Airbnb. Jack's talked so much about being a host, his friends are asking about it. I'm getting asked about it all the time.

[Jack]

One buddy is about to get married. He has no kids yet. He wants to travel the country dink style with his new wife. How is he gonna pay for it? He's going to list his house on Airbnb.

[Nick]

So, Basties, if you're going on vacation this summer, join the millions who host on Airbnb.

[Jack]

Host your whole space. Host your extra space. Host any space.

[Nick]

The income from putting your home on Airbnb could pay for your whole vacay.

[Jack]

I've been doing it for three different properties now.

[Nick]

And it's easy to set booking availability. And then when the booking comes in, Jack, you always say it just shows up in your Google Calendar.

[Jack]

And if you're not sure what to price your place at, check Airbnb and look at similar listings. It's very easy.

[Nick]

You can double dip that chip.

[Jack]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host.

[Nick]

For our first story, tea has hit number two in the app Store as women want the tea on the men they are dating.

[Jack]

But tea has now been hacked twice, leaving women feeling exposed. And this feels like a trend.

[Nick]

Yetis Bumble pioneered the women's first dating app. Women make the first Move.

[Jack]

Well, Tee is the successor to Bumble.

[Nick]

In some ways, it's kinda like the sequel. Cause it's basically borrowed the business model of Yelp and it's put it on dudes.

[Jack]

Now, to be clear, Tea is not a dating app in the traditional sense. Tea is an app where women can go to give honest feedback about the guys that they've dated.

[Nick]

If you've had a relationship with someone, you could give them a red flag or you could give them a green flag.

[Jack]

So women on tea are hunting for green flags. Cause those are the guys you want.

[Nick]

But then T added more features and unfortunately, yellow flag was not one of them.

[Jack]

True. It's not just red flags and green flags. As you scroll through guys, you can enter a guy's phone number that you got on a first date and use the T app to find out if he's married.

[Nick]

You can reverse photo lookup See if he's catfishing you by using a picture of someone else.

[Jack]

Basically, Tea has digitized the whisper network.

[Nick]

It's techified. The boyfriend, T call this the gas business model.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Nick]

Why is that?

[Jack]

Gossip as a service.

[Nick]

So just like a Yelp review. As you scroll through dudes on the app, you would see comments reviewing what they're like.

[Jack]

For example, he sent me a Venmo request after our first date.

[Nick]

That's probably a red flag at this point, Jack.

[Jack]

True. But, Nick, there's, like, serious reviews. This is doing good work. There's one comment I saw on Instagram. I found the guy who assaulted me on this app and was able to warn three other people about it, thanks.

[Nick]

To T. Yetis, this is powerful stuff. And that is why 4.7 million women have downloaded this app and it hit number two in the app store.

[Jack]

Now, some people who download the app have been frustrated by the wait list.

[Nick]

Human staff have to verify the app to ensure that real human women are using it.

[Jack]

So you tried to download the app two weeks ago, but your application is still pending.

[Nick]

But the T users are even more frustrated because T has been hacked twice.

[Jack]

Women shared intimate information to this app, including DMs among women who both dated the same guy.

[Nick]

Now, we should point out the app claims that everything is secure and everyone is anonymous.

[Jack]

But it's not hard to piece together a woman's ID based on the hacked data that's now on the dark web.

[Nick]

Yeti's add it all up. And that's not T. That's a leak.

[Jack]

And it comes at the worst time for this startup. T has entered the zeitgeist.

[Nick]

Yeah, T, it was just taken off. It had momentum. It was rocket shipping with PR buzz over the last week, and now the.

[Jack]

Has been dented just as it was rising.

[Nick]

And Jack, why is this so particularly painful for T?

[Jack]

I mean, this app depends on you being vulnerable. If vulnerability is the product, security must be the foundation.

[Nick]

Jack. Spoken like Uncle Ben from Spider Man. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over AT T?

[Jack]

Problematic product market fit.

[Nick]

Yetis, Jack and I have noticed a trend recently. Consumer surveillance is surging.

[Jack]

In some cases, their surveillance is good. Good point. Because surveillance is accountability, which improves people's behavior.

[Nick]

Yeah, like the astronomer CEO, he got outed for an affair at the Coldplay concert. Or Predators outed in the T app.

[Jack]

But, Nick, does the T app mean second chances are over? Like, if a guy gets caught picking his nose, is he never gonna get a date again because of his red Flags on the T app.

[Nick]

If you split the check, you may never get married is what you're saying, Jack.

[Jack]

No reformed bad boys are gonna emerge from this T app.

[Nick]

But besties, we've noticed there's even more surveillance happening right now. Like at our Chicago live show, we actually had an encounter hanging out with a yeti who was wearing meta Ray Ban glasses.

[Jack]

We didn't realize it at the time, but our entire interaction was recorded with video. And that guy posted it on Instagram. I just saw it today.

[Nick]

Well, how about AI listening devices? The ones we've said are going to come out from Sam Altman next year.

[Jack]

People could have a listening device in their pocket recording you and you'd have no idea what was happening.

[Nick]

So, Bastis, each of these products has great market fit, but it introduces sticky new social issues because everything's being recorded.

[Jack]

Potentially problematic product. Great market fit.

[Nick]

For our second story. Choo Choo. America is finally getting its first transcontinental railroad.

[Jack]

Nick, this is actually the biggest business deal of the year. It's Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.

[Nick]

Yetis, 1869, America's west and east coast were connected at Promontory Point, Utah.

[Jack]

Two railroad companies met in Utah in a post civil war moment of unity for the country.

[Nick]

We all learned about it in sixth grade. The famous golden spike was spiked into the ground.

[Jack]

But in 2025, it's not railroad workers uniting the country, it's bankers.

[Nick]

Yeah, and they're not smacking a golden spike. They're grabbing a golden penny.

[Jack]

Because Union Pacific Railroad is paying Norfolk Southern Railroad 320 bucks a share and a combination of cash and stock to merge.

[Nick]

Yeah, we did the multiplication math for you. That is an $85 billion with a B deal.

[Jack]

And this combined massive coast to coast railroad company, it's going to be worth $250 billion.

[Nick]

Sit down, stand up and punch your ticket again. This is the biggest merger of 2025 and it's a railroad deal.

[Jack]

The numbers are bigger than a locomotive. After this deal is closed, we're talking.

[Nick]

100 ports linked by 50,000 miles of rail across 43American states.

[Jack]

Everywhere but the six New England states in North Dakota can buy a ticket at this combined railroad and go anywhere in the country that they want.

[Nick]

And Yetis, this is huge because railroads carry 28% of U.S. freight and 40% of long haul cargo.

[Jack]

America doesn't run on Duncan. It runs on railroads.

[Nick]

No, no, no, Jack. America doesn't run on Duncan. It runs on Choo Choo. We went over this. It's Choo choo. We promised our sons we're gonna say choo choo. But besties. This deal, it is as big as a train and yet it is as slow as Amtrak.

[Jack]

The executives behind this deal expect it won't close until 2027. That's how long it will take to get regulatory approval.

[Nick]

So, Jack, I gotta ask, why is this epic train deal gonna take so long?

[Jack]

Because it looks, smells, and sounds like a monopoly.

[Nick]

Yeah. Get this yetis. Back in the late 1800s, we created antitrust laws, ironically because of railroad monopolies.

[Jack]

So the suits behind this billion dollar deal are already speaking in code that they think Trump will like. Yeah.

[Nick]

These railroad execs have literally said, we are re industrializing America.

[Jack]

They said they have guaranteed jobs for anybody that's unionized.

[Nick]

They've said, we will transform the US Supply chain and unleash the industrial strength of American manual manufacturing.

[Jack]

Now, do these train execs really believe that or they just trying to find ways to cut costs, boost profits and make a bigger bonus?

[Nick]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over in the railroad industry?

[Jack]

It doesn't make sense to take two Ubers to get somewhere. And it doesn't make sense to take two trains either.

[Nick]

Now, Yeti, Jack and I are not fans of consolidation. We are fans of competition.

[Jack]

But we don't think this consolidation will hurt competition.

[Nick]

No, we don't.

[Jack]

Because the two railroads in question, they don't compete with each other.

[Nick]

Interestingly, the railroad industry is highly regional. Norfolk operates east of the Mississippi. Union Pacific operates west. They each have their own separate territory.

[Jack]

So merging won't reduce competition, but it will reduce cumbersome.

[Nick]

Cumbersome. Because shipping something by rail from New York to LA requires a changeover in Chicago, Kansas City or St. Louis.

[Jack]

You literally got to put the stuff in a different train because you've reached the end of the Norfolk Railway and have to get onto the Union Pacific Railway.

[Nick]

That is costly both in time and money. Like, you know, when you switch from New Jersey transit to Long Island Railroad just to get to the Hamptons.

[Jack]

Getting from Jersey to Montauk would be a lot quicker and more efficient if those rail lines merged besties in a rail.

[Nick]

This is called single line shipping. And that's the money savings that this merger wants to achieve.

[Jack]

Doesn't make sense to take two Ubers to get to dinner. Doesn't make sense to take two trains either.

[Nick]

Choo choo, Jack. Choo choo. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

Here we Go. Yetis. What is the biggest thing you can pack for vacation but not have to check your luggage?

[Jack]

I think it's a leading question based on my Audible. I just said a second ago. Yeah, yeah.

[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

Right now, I'm on a World War II kick. I'm listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin on FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, how we created.

[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

Visit audible.comt boy, that's audible.comt boy.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

You know, Jack, whenever I call a local business, odds are it's because I want to pay them for something.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

OpenPhone. No missed calls, no missed customers. For our third and final story, Quint, the affordable luxury brand just hit a $4.5 billion valuation by selling cashmere sweaters and cute dresses, but also caviar and gold bars.

[Jack]

And like Shein Quints is really a tech company.

[Nick]

This is America's teemo. But luxury now, Yeti, It's a funny thing. Last week when we were in Chicago, I gave Jack a gift for my half birthday. It's Just the kind of guy I am.

[Jack]

I thought I was the people. Please. You're giving me a gift for your half birthday.

[Nick]

So I gave Jack a yak sweater because you said you wanted one, right?

[Jack]

I did. Now, we didn't know it at the time, but Quince, the maker of that yak wool sweater Nick got me, was about to make news.

[Nick]

The $50 Yak wool sweater. Yeti's Quince is a fashion startup that just raised 200 million bucks at a $4.5 billion valuation.

[Jack]

That means this fashion brand is right up there with Skims Viori and Christian Louboutin in valuation.

[Nick]

On the public side, they're about half the size of the Gap. They're big as Levi's jeans, though a.

[Jack]

Seven year old disruptor is biting at fashion's heels.

[Nick]

Now, the name of the brand is Quince, which is sort for Quintessential as opposed to Quinceanera, which Jack thought it was short for.

[Jack]

I totally mispronounced it. I thought it was Quince.

[Nick]

But basically this cashmere covered unicorn is affordable luxury. It's kind of like if Everlane studied abroad in Milan.

[Jack]

Exactly. The pandemic was big for Quince.

[Nick]

You mean Quince, right?

[Jack]

Quince revenue 15x'd in 2021 and revenues are expected to hit half a billion dollars this year.

[Nick]

How would you describe Quints though, Jack, if you haven't seen your yak wool sweater?

[Jack]

If Jenny Cain and J. Crew had a baby who was raised.

[Nick]

By Amazon and went to boarding school in Ojai, California.

[Jack]

But what Nick and I found fascinating about Quints is that their business model is unprecedented in American Apparel.

[Nick]

In fact, the more we looked at their business model, Quint's isn't really a fashion company. It's a tech company. A tech company ensconced in linen.

[Jack]

First of all, Quince is based in San Francisco. Second of all, half of their employees are software engineers.

[Nick]

I gotta ask, Jack. What does a brand selling maxi dresses need so many coaters for in San Francisco?

[Jack]

They're dtf. That's why. More on that in a second.

[Nick]

Let's sprinkle on some context. A typical apparel business like the Gap plans for a season, orders from a factory and then keeps those cute tops in a warehouse as inventory.

[Jack]

But Quint's doesn't do that at all. They're asset light. They only tell the factory to make a dress if someone has ordered it.

[Nick]

So the way Jack and I see it, they're not a direct to consumer company like Casper Mattress. They're A direct to factory company.

[Jack]

They're dtf. Quince's technology cuts out an extra middleman to stay as lean as possible. Which means there's no wasted clothes, no wasted waistbands being made at Quint's. Only waistbands people have ordered online already.

[Nick]

And that's how you get a cashmere sweater down the fancy 50 bucks.

[Jack]

A $50 luxury company. It sounds like an oxymoron, but it.

[Nick]

Also sounds like something we've seen before. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

Yeah. China Shein and Temu, they pioneered this direct to factory concept, but Quint is.

[Nick]

Doing it in America and they're doing it with luxury. So, Jack, what is the beige cover takeaway for our buddies over at Quint?

[Jack]

Quint's other innovation, the caviar Strategy, Yetis.

[Nick]

Selling $50 cashmere and luxury dupes. That's also a risk for Quints.

[Jack]

It's a risk to the brand because no matter how high quality they say that cashmere is, for just 50 bucks, you might think it's cheap cashmere.

[Nick]

So here's the key. To preempt that risk, Quinn's makes a strategic move. Limited luxury drops.

[Jack]

For example, they're currently selling a $3,000 diamond ring on their website.

[Nick]

Yeah, last month, Quinn sold $4,000 gold bars.

[Jack]

And over the holidays, they sold a $300 tin of the highest grade caviar.

[Nick]

I'm sorry, Jack, is that Royal Osetra caviar?

[Jack]

All of those luxury products sold out, and Quint doesn't plan to restock them. But that's not the point.

[Nick]

That's right. The point is to have you associate quince with caviar, even if they don't sell caviar year round.

[Jack]

If you saw an article that said Quince is selling caviar, you're going to associate quince with luxury and believe that that $50 sweater is, in fact, luxury.

[Nick]

That is luxury by association, or as Jack and I call it, the caviar strategy. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for ceviche Wednesday?

[Jack]

The T app helps women catch red flags about potential dates, but it also got hacked.

[Nick]

The consumer surveillance industry. Potentially problematic products. Great market fit.

[Jack]

For our second story. The number one and number four railroad companies announced their merging. It'll be the first ever transcontinental railroad.

[Nick]

And the biggest deal of the year because it doesn't make sense to take two Ubers to get to dinner. And it's the same with trains.

[Jack]

And our third and final story is Quint. It's America's luxury chien. It comes direct from factory and has a $4.5 billion valuation.

[Nick]

How do you equate quince with luxury? Well, you do it with the caviar strategy.

[Jack]

But, yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[Nick]

First, by now, you've seen the shooting in New York, in Midtown Manhattan on Park Avenue that sadly killed four people.

[Jack]

Including a police officer, a security guard, and a top female executive at Blackstone, which is the tenant of the building.

[Nick]

Now, the latest update is that the shooter was not targeting Blackstone, the financial firm. He was actually targeting the NFL.

[Jack]

That's according to a note he left behind after killing himself.

[Nick]

The NFL headquarters are in that building, and the shooter had a history of football brain injuries.

[Jack]

Second, Waymo has chosen its next dancing partner. Their robo taxis are coming to Dallas.

[Nick]

They're coming to Dallas. But interestingly, Waymo is doing it without Uber. Instead, Waymo is partnering with Avis Car Rental.

[Jack]

Yeah, Avis is going to handle the fleet management, basically cleaning the cars and charging them and making sure they're in tip top shape.

[Nick]

I mean, Jack, how did Waymo not partner with Enterprise? Enterprise comes pick you up.

[Jack]

True missed opportunity. Either way, Uber is bummed. They thought they were Waymo's fleet manager.

[Nick]

You never know who you're going to dance with. And finally, on Monday, we told you about the Sydney Sweeney stocks.

[Jack]

Sidney did a denim collab with American Eagle, and American Eagle stock jumped 15%.

[Nick]

Well, now that promotion's getting some pushback because the good genes theme is a cute wordplay, but it does carry some racial baggage.

[Jack]

It sparked claims of eugenics from one side and wokeness from the other.

[Nick]

Now, time for the best fact yet. This one is a correction sent in by Sam Barber from lovely Royal Oak, Michigan.

[Jack]

Last week at our Chicago Live show, we interviewed Chris Barman, CEO of Slate Auto. And we said on stage that Slate should be the first car company to launch a smoothie collab.

[Nick]

Yeah, they got a cool electric car. They may as well have a cool smoothie to go with it.

[Jack]

Well, it turns out Chevy had the same idea because in September of last year, they did a smoothie collab with Erewhon.

[Nick]

Yeah, Chevrolet is actually the first car company to launch a smoothie. I can't believe I'm saying those words. And yes, they did it with Erewhon.

[Jack]

And we're guilty here because we actually covered that Chevy electric Erewhon smoothie on our pod.

[Nick]

Yeah, I remember, Jack, because I think we said it tasted like. Is that chassis I think that's a hint of chassis in there.

[Jack]

Thanks for the hilarious correction, Sam.

[Nick]

Yeah, the leather seats, that's vitamin C right there. That's vitamin C. Yetis, you look fantastic today. Jack, you are glowing. Do you want to share with them the news? Are you excited about this? Should we let them know? I don't know if we're allowed to.

[Jack]

What? That I wore the yak sweater and I look really nice? What are you getting at?

[Nick]

I was gonna say that you and I are making a cameo in Happy Gilmore 3 Revenge of Shooter McAvin. I can't believe we're gonna wait to.

[Jack]

Tell everybody, but Grizzly Adams did have a beard.

[Nick]

If you know, you know Yeti's drop down to give us a five star review. That helps us grow the show. We love reading them. Jack and I will see you tomorrow. And before we go, a happy birthday to yet Sydney down in Fayetteville, Arkansas, who also is in an insanely cool, awesome seven year relationship.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Yashvi Shah in San Francisco who is Turning A sweet 16.

[Nick]

Happy birthday. And Yana and Taylor Embry from New York city have a 10 year anniversary on the day a pigeon and four raccoons brought them together in Central Park. Oh, my God. What? You got to send this to the New York Times as a metropolitan diary. That is an amazing story. It feels like it's a movie.

[Jack]

And congratulations to Natalie Chen who completed the San Francisco Marathon with her best time yet.

[Nick]

And Joanna and Andre from Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Happy anniversary. Hope you're celebrating well.

[Jack]

Happy 30th birthday to Eric Monahan in Framingham, Mass.

[Nick]

And a belated 20th birthday to Aditi Shaw hanging out down the street in San Francisco.

[Jack]

Happy anniversary to Yana and Taylor in Denver, Colorado.

[Nick]

And Lyla tran is turning 7 years old all the way down in beautiful San Diego.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Brittany Chibi in Chicago who is at our live show.

[Nick]

Great to see you. And Austin Stanius, happy 37th birthday, hanging out in Cali.

[Jack]

And happy second birthday. The big number two to Gia Wadia in Los Angeles. This is Jack. I own stock in Netflix, Levi, Disney and Amazon. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple podcast Prime.

[Nick]

Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us a.

[Jack]

Little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey we want to.

[Nick]

Get to know you.

[Unknown]

Hear that? That's the sound of cinnamon toast crunch telling us it's crunch time as we gear up for another year of cereal training camp. Last year, a dynamic brother duo competed and won the right to make their very own cereal. They named it the Kelce Mix. This summer, the energy is being brought straight from the end zone to the breakfast aisle with three cereal loving wide receivers, Justin Jefferson, Amon Ra St Brown and Ja' Marr Chase. You can find these football stars on limited edition cereal boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Reese's Puff Cereal starting in August. And don't miss out on Justin Jefferson's Jetta's Mix, a fruity fusion of Frosted Lemon Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry. For a limited time only, be sure to score them all where every bite tastes like a touchdown.